Stuffed animal tissue dispenser

ABSTRACT

An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets includes a hollow body, a pouch in the hollow body, and a tissue container having at least one tissue sheet positioned in the pouch. The hollow body includes an opening so that at least one tissue sheet can be dispensed to a user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an ornamental dispensing apparatus in particular a stuffed animal tissue dispenser.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There have been many devices to dispense tissues and the like. However, in today's world of home decorating, there is a need for a device to dispense tissues from a decorative container. Some of these decorative containers are nothing more than rectangular boxes using printed material to provide the decoration on the container. Although these decorated containers may be preferable than a plain container, the decorations are limited to two dimensions, leaving much to be desired in the field of decoration.

Other decorated containers are designed having a hollow housing within opening on the bottom of the hollow housing such that the opening is sized to fit over a rectangular manufactured box of tissues. Some of these devices are a mere shell to encompass the manufactured box of tissues

U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,163 discloses a sound emitting dispenser for emitting sound and also including a pressure activated dispenser in the form of a sculpture for dispensing a liquid. However, the sculpture is inflexible.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,335 to Rankin discloses a simulated animal toilet tissue holder in which a roll of toilet tissue is held by the front legs of a simulated stuffed animal to be used for training a child to use the toilet. The roll of toilet tissue is not hidden but fully visible to the user, reducing the decorative effect.

None of the above devices discloses a tissue dispenser which can easily dispense tissues and is highly decorative.

SUMMARY

A tissue dispenser is disclosed that may be in the shape of an animal or other such object that accepts tissues. The tissue housing is positioned within the interior of the hollow housing and supported by the stuffing. The tissue housing includes a lid which rotates along a lid hinge to open and close the tissue housing so that the tissue container can be placed within the tissue housing and so that the tissue container can be removed from the tissue housing. The lid includes an opening so that the tissue sheets can be removed from the tissue container when positioned within the tissue housing as required by the user.

In another embodiment, the tissues may be held in a container which is accepted by a pouch in the housing of the tissue dispenser. The tissues may be on a roll or may be laid face-to-face. The pouch may be expandable to expand and collapse based on the size and shape of the container holding the tissues. The pouch includes an opening which extends through the housing of the tissue dispenser and which is expandable so that the opening can accept different sized containers that hold the tissues. The box or container is inserted through the opening and into the interior of the pouch. The pouch collapses around the box or container to hold the tissue dispenser in place.

In all embodiments, the tissues are releaseably interlocked with each other as long as they are within the container. As the tissues are pulled out through the opening, the tissues are released from each other so that they can be individually used. As one tissue is pulled away from the tissue dispenser, a second tissue is partially pulled out from the tissue dispenser so that the user can pull the second tissue completely out of the tissue dispenser when required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an ornamental tissue dispenser in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the ornamental tissue dispenser with a tissue container being inserted into the tissue dispenser;

FIG. 3 illustrates the ornamental tissue dispenser dispensing tissues.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the ornamental tissue dispenser;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of another embodiment of the ornamental tissue dispenser;

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the ornamental tissue dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of the ornamental tissue dispenser 100 with a portion of the back removed for illustrating the features and aspects of the present invention. The ornamental tissue dispenser 100 includes a hollow housing 110 which is shown in FIG. 1 in the shape of an animal. The hollow housing 110 may be filled with stuffing material 102 so that the desired shape of the hollow housing 110 may be maintained and may be formed from flexible material so that the hollow housing 110 appears lifelike. The hollow housing 110 may be covered with material that resembles animal skin or fur. The hollow housing 100 additionally includes an expandable pouch 104 which may be made of elastic material to expand as the tissue container 106 is inserted into the expandable pouch 104 and which compresses as the tissue container 106 is removed from the expandable pouch 104. The expandable pouch 104 is supported and maintained in position by the stuffing material 102. The hollow housing 100 and the expandable pouch 104 includes an expandable opening 112 for communication with the interior of the expandable pouch 104 and which can be expanded to allow the tissue container 106 to be placed within the expandable pouch 104 and can be contracted after the tissue container 106 has passed through the expandable opening 112. The expandable opening 112 may be form with an elastic band around the opening. FIG. 1 shows that the tissue container 106 includes tissue sheets 108. The tissues sheets 108 are releaseably interlocked with each other as long as they are within the container. As the first tissue sheet 108 is a pulled out through the opening, a second tissue sheet 108 is partially pulled through the expandable opening 102. The first tissue releases the second tissue after the second tissue is partially through the expandable opening 102. The first tissue 108 can be used by the user, and the second tissue 108 is available for another user. As one tissue is pulled away from the tissue dispenser, a second tissue is partially pulled out from the tissue dispenser so that the user can pull the second tissue completely out of the tissue dispenser when required.

As result of the tissue container 106 being held in place by the stuffing material 102, the ornamental dispenser 100 can be can be moved by a user and does not have to remain stationary in order to be used. Children in particular can use the ornamental dispenser 100 as a toy, and when there is a need for a tissue, the ornamental dispenser 100 can dispense a tissue sheet 108.

FIG. 2 illustrates the tissue container 206 being inserted into the pouch 204.

FIG. 3 illustrates tissue sheet 308 being pulled from the tissue container 306 through the expandable opening 312.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the ornamental dispenser with the tissue sheet to be dispensed.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the ornamental tissue dispenser in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows the tissue housing 524 having substantially rigid walls to hold the tissue container 106 which contains the tissues sheets 108. The tissue housing 524 is positioned within the interior of the hollow housing 510 and supported by the stuffing 502. The tissue housing 524 includes a lid 520 which rotates along a lid hinge 526 to open and close the tissue housing 524 so that the tissue container 106 can be placed within the tissue housing 524 and so that the tissue container 106 can be removed from the tissue housing 524. The lid 520 includes an opening 512 so that the tissue sheets 108 can be removed from the tissue container 106 when positioned within the tissue housing 524 as required by the user. The outside surface of the lid 520 may be covered with the same material that resembles animal skin or fur that has been chosen to cover the hollow housing 510. The opening 512 may have excess material so that the size of the opening 512 can changed to conform to the size of the tissue sheets 108. The lid 520 may include a flap 524 at one end of the lid 520 to aid in keeping the lid 520 closed. The flap 524 may be connected to the lid 520 by a flap hinge 528 so that the flap 524 may rotate with respect to the lid 520. FIG. 5 additionally shows a tab 522 which is connected to one end of the lid 520 so that the user can hold the tab 522 and can open and close the lid 520.

The tissue housing 524 may be of sufficient size to hold any size tissue package or box including square or rectangular packages or boxes. The interior of the tissue housing 524 including the interior surface of the lid 520 may be covered with a lining which may be a fabric. Excess material may be placed within the tissue housing 524 to secure smaller tissue packages.

FIG. 6 illustrates the ornamental tissue dispenser of FIG. 5 with the lid 620 closed. The material covering the ornamental tissue dispenser which may be animal fur may cover the peripheral edges of the lid 620 and the excess material around the opening 612 may cover the opening 612. The user will hold the tab 622 to open and close the lid 620.

The lid 620 and tissue housing 524 may be formed on the back of the ornamental tissue dispenser as shown in FIG. 6 or could be located on the front of the ornamental tissue dispenser. In other embodiments, the lid 620 and tissue housing 524 could be formed on the head of the ornamental tissue dispenser.

The ornamental dispenser may be in the form of an animal such as a dog, a teddy bear, a cat, a rooster, a duck, a dolphin, a cow, a tiger, a rabbit, a dragon, a snake, a horse a sheep a monkey, a pig, and an insect for example a bee, a fly, a ladybug, an ant and a butterfly. The dispenser may be in the form of an inanimate object such as a plant, a tree, a mountain, a flower, a mountain, an electrical appliance, a locomotive, a train, an airplane, a jet, a space shuttle, a truck, a car, a volcano, a building, or a structure.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. 

1. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets, comprising: a hollow body; a tissue housing in said hollow body; a tissue container having at least one tissue sheet positioned in said tissue housing; wherein said hollow body includes an opening so that at least one tissue sheet can be dispensed to a user.
 2. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 1, wherein said tissue housing is an expandable pouch.
 3. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 1, wherein said opening is an expandable opening.
 4. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 1, wherein said ornamental dispenser is in the shape of the dog.
 5. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 1, wherein said ornamental dispenser is in the shape of a teddy bear.
 6. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 1, wherein said tissue housing includes a lid that opens and closes.
 7. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 1, wherein said tissue housing includes a tab.
 8. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 6, wherein said lid is on a back of said ornamental dispenser.
 9. An ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 6, wherein said lid is on a front of said ornamental dispenser.
 10. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets, comprising the steps of: forming a hollow body; forming a tissue housing in said hollow body; forming a tissue container having at least one tissue sheet positioned in said tissue housing; wherein the step of forming said hollow body includes the step of forming an opening so that at least one tissue sheet can be dispensed to a user.
 11. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 10, wherein said step of forming a tissue housing includes the step of forming an expandable pouch.
 12. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 10, wherein the step of forming said opening includes the step of forming an expandable opening.
 13. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 10, Wherein said or ornamental dispenser is in the shape of a dog.
 14. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets As in claim 10, wherein said ornamental dispenser is in the shape of the teddy bear.
 15. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 10, wherein said step of forming said tissue housing includes the step of forming a lid in said tissue housing for opening and closing.
 16. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 15, wherein said lid is formed on a back of said ornamental dispenser.
 17. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 15, wherein said lid is formed on a front of said ornamental dispenser.
 18. A method for forming an ornamental tissue dispenser for dispensing tissues sheets as in claim 15, wherein said tissue housing includes a tab for opening and closing said lid. 